Prince Qi Mansion.

Xiao Chengxuan had tossed and turned all night, his eyes wide open. Just as dawn was breaking, a black shadow finally slipped in without a sound.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Xiao Chengxuan’s patience had run out. He immediately stood up and asked, "How did it go? Did you see the Han father and son?"

"Calm yourself, Your Highness. I investigated in secret and found where Han Tong is being held. But Shen Yanchuan is cautious; he didn’t imprison the father and son together. Time was short, so I only found Han Tong. As for Han Yao, there is no trace of him."

Xiao Chengxuan was somewhat disappointed. After all, that fellow Han Yao knew quite a bit too.

’But I can’t be too demanding right now. Dealing with one of them is good enough, especially since Han Yao is an old fox and much harder to handle.’

"What’s his condition?"

"Well... when I arrived, it seemed Han Tong had already undergone a round of interrogation and torture. He was unconscious. I had to call his name twice before he came to."

Xiao Chengxuan paced back and forth, his fists clenched, and let out a cold laugh.

"I knew it would be like this! Everyone thought that Shen Yanchuan went to the palace first and wouldn’t have time to personally interrogate the members of the Han Family. But he is decisive and ruthless. How could he leave such a gaping vulnerability? If he doesn’t interrogate them, there are certainly others who will do it for him!"

He looked at the man again and asked in a low voice, "Did Han Tong say anything he shouldn’t have?"

"I don’t believe so." The man immediately denied it. "Otherwise, things wouldn’t be this calm right now."

Only then did Xiao Chengxuan relax slightly.

"Also, following your instructions, I fed him a little something. Whether he lives or dies is now up to a single word from you."

Xiao Chengxuan shook his head. "Let him live for now."

’Han Tong will certainly die, but it absolutely cannot be now.’

At this moment, countless eyes in the Capital City were watching. If Han Tong were to die suddenly, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar and trigger a full investigation.

That would just add a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Sending someone over was merely to ensure Han Tong’s life was firmly in his own hands.

Xiao Chengxuan added, "Don’t look for Han Yao for now. Shen Yanchuan is a cautious man. If he notices anything unusual, the loss would outweigh the gain."

"Yes!"

Xiao Chengxuan waved his hand, and the man’s figure vanished silently into the shadows again.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

...

When Shen Yanchuan returned to the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, the sky was already tinged with a faint indigo.

The room was veiled in the first light of dawn. From the shadows, a tall, lean figure appeared silently and knelt on one knee. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Su Mu greets you, Master."

Shen Yanchuan unfastened his cloak, tossed it casually onto a small nearby couch, and asked in a placid voice:

"What’s the situation over there?"

"Just as you predicted, the fish took the bait. They sent someone, but he didn’t make a lethal move. He just fed him some poison."

"What poison?"

"Dragon Tooth Green. The victim won’t die right away, but they will suffer daily headaches that grow worse each day. Without an antidote, the person will die suddenly in a month at most. But rest assured, Master, this bit of poison is nothing to me."

Shen Yanchuan nodded slightly.

"You’ve always been an expert with poisons. Naturally, this is no challenge for you."

He suddenly remembered something. "By the way, you spent a long time in Shunan. Do you know of any way to cure a chronic cold affliction?"

’A chronic cold affliction?’ Su Mu looked surprised. He was well aware of his master’s condition, so this question must be about...

After a moment of contemplation, he said, "That would depend on the patient’s specific condition. But generally speaking, once an illness like this takes root, a complete cure requires a great deal of effort."

Shen Yanchuan’s eyelids drooped slightly, and the chill emanating from him intensified.

After a moment, he waved his hand.

"I understand. You may leave."

Soon, he was alone in the room again.

The damp, oppressive air of the prison, tinged with the faint smell of blood, lingered around him, the recent events seeming to replay before his very eyes.

Shen Yanchuan’s fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop as he fell into deep thought.

’No wonder Ye Heng is so brazen. If what happened back then is truly as he says, convicting him won’t be so simple...’

He glanced out the window.

Day was about to break.

The night had passed so quickly.

’I wonder if a certain someone is sleeping soundly. But I gave specific orders, so no one should have disturbed her sweet dreams.’

...

Overnight, the entire Capital City was abuzz with discussion about the Ye Family’s tragedy from years past. Yet, the very center of this storm was the most peaceful and quiet place of all.

All the outside commotion was kept beyond the courtyard walls.

Knowing that Duke Dingbei himself had brought her back the day before, no one dared to cause trouble. After some thought, they all flocked to Ye Heng’s former residence instead. There, they wagged their tongues, threw rotten vegetables, and when they got worked up, they would even spit in disgust.

"I heard Lord Ye Zheng’s family was murdered by Ye Heng all those years ago! What a wicked crime! How can such a heartless person exist in this world!"

"Isn’t that the truth? No wonder after those children returned, Ye Heng and his whole family occupied the Ye Mansion and refused to leave. It’s clear they never had any good intentions!"

"I heard that the Second Miss Ye was so devastated by this that she’s fallen ill and can’t get out of bed!"

"Sigh, what a pitiful girl! She finally made it back to the Capital City, thinking she could rely on her relatives, but who knew they were the very culprits who destroyed her family!"

"I say none of Ye Heng’s family are any good! The sooner they die, the better! Ptooey!"